Mine-car-controlling mechanism



' e. FOSTER.

MINE CA R CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION Fl-LED AUG. I4, I919.

Patsnted Nov. 29, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. FOSTER. MINE CAR CONTROLLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUGII4 I919- I 1,398,896. Patented Nov. 29, 1921-.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- a M WM &

' M N M Q w g N Q Q m .4 N

H LE; 3mm Witmwo I siren stares GEORGE FOSTER, OFIBICKNELL, INDIANA.

MINE-CAR-OONTRQLLING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev. 29, 1%21.

Application filed August n, 1919. Serial No. 317,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Fos'rER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Biol:-

hell, in the county of Knox and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine-Car-Controlling Mechanism; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mine car controlling mechanisms. One object ofthe invention is to provide a cage-controlled device of improved construction for releasing empty cars and permitting them to leave the cage immediately upon the arrival of the cage at its car-receiving and car-discharging position.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this characterwhich releases the empty car simultaneously withthe releasing of a loaded car from an adjacent track section, to permit the loaded car to enter the cage without interference or interruption by the empty car.

A further object is to provide. an improved device of this. character which utilizes the empty carfor causing a stop to be moved into the path of the loaded car on the cagetrack. I

A further object isto provide-an improved car-controlling device. which effects a very great savlng of time in loading and and which effects a great unloading the cage, saving of expense by dispensing with the employment of a cage-loading attendant or operator. A further object is to provide an improved car-stop or chock which engages under the head of a track rail for holding itself in its proper chocking position.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details and description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the principles of the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the cage or elevator in a'position slightly above its car-receiving and car-discharging position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3 exceptthat the car-stops or checks are held by their actuating mechanism in their ineffective position. 7

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view along the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 except that the track sections are alined and their stops are held by their actuating mechanism int-he ineliective position.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspend with similar parts throughout the several views, the device comprises three track sections which are generally desig-- nated by the reference characters A, B, and C, it being understood that each track section comprises two rails and the ties and supporting frames to which the rails are secured, by means of spikes or otherwise, and such parts that are rigidly united with the rails and ties may be considered as parts of the respective track sections. The track section A may be termed the loaded car section, the sectionB may be termed the cage section, and the section C may be termed the empty car section. The track sections A and C are stationary and preferably inclined from A toward G, and the section B is slmllarly inclined so that when these three sections are in allnement, the cars move by gravity from A to B and from B to C. The

cage section B may be moved up and down by any well known or appropriate means (not shown). i

A shaft 1 is suitably journaled at 2 to the under side of the track section A and carries an actuating arm 3, Lip-standing arms 4: and

5, corresponding depending arms '6 and 7, and a depending arm 8. A spring 9 engages with the arm 8 and cooperates and coacts therewith to hold the shaft 1 in its normal position in which the arm 3 is upwardly inclined, and while in this position, it holds a pair of stops 10 in their effective position through the medium of links 11, these links being pivotally connected to depending arms 12 of the stops or stop levers 10, and being also pivotally connected to the arms 1 and 6 respectively, it being understood that each. of the stops 10 is journaled or pivotally con nected at 13 to a combined bearing and rail prop 14: which constitutes an element of the track section A. Moreover, when in the normal position, the shaft 1 holds a pair of chocks or car stops 15 in their ineffective position through the medium of links 16 which are pivotally connected to the arms 5 and 7 and are also pivotally connected'to de pending arms of the stop levers 15 which are of similar construction to the stop levers 10; it being understood, however, thatthe links 16 are connected in the reverse order to the links 11; that is, as will be seen in Fig. 3, assuming that the observer is looking from B toward A, the left hand link 11 is connected to the lower one of the pair of arms 4-6, while the corresponding link 16 is connected to the upper one of the pair of arms 5*? Therefore, the same rotary movement of the shaft 1 which renders the stops 10 effective, at the same time renders the stops 15 ineffective, and vice-versa, The cage section is provided with an abutment 17 in position to press upon the arm 3 when the cage is in and adjacent to its lowermost position, and when the arm 3 is depressed by the abutment 17, the shaft 1 is turned soas to move the stops 1O outward to their effective position, thereby releasing a car which may be held by the stops 10,and permitting it to pass onto the cage section B, and at the same time, the steps 15 prevent another car from passing them.

The cage section B is provided with a shaft 18, journaled in bearings 19, and a trip arm 20 is fixed to the forward end of this shaft. A depending arm 21 is fixed on the shaft 18 and pivotally connects with a pair of stops 22 through the medium of links 23 and arms 24, the latter forming elements of the stops or stop levers 22, it being understood that these levers are pivotally connected at 25 to the track section B. .A link 26 is pivotally connected to the arm 21, and

one or more springs 27 are connected to thislink and to the frame of the track section B. 1 These springs cooperate with the link 26 and arm 21 for holding the shaft 18 and arm 20 in their normal position, and when in this normal position, the stops 22 are in their effective position, so that they stop the car which has passed from the section A onto the section B. To prevent any possibility of the car moving backward on the cage, is a pair of checks or stops 28. These stops are normally held in their effective position by means of a spring 29 which has its" opposite ends secured to arms 30 which projeot from the pivots or shafts 31 about which the stops 28 have rotary movement. The stops 28 are arranged to be moved away from the track rails by means of the car wheels impinging upon their inclined rear outer surfaces, but the spring 29 returns them to their effective position when the car Wheels have passed them. 1

mal position. A crank-shaft 35 connects.

with the plunger 32 through the medium of a link 36, and an arm 37 extends radially from the crank-shaft 35 into the path of the cars which move along this track section. Therefore, the plunger 32 is released by a car pressing against the projection 37 so as to rotate the crank-shaft 35 and draw the plunger 32 out of engagement with the arm 20; j

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that a loaded car stands on the track section A against the stops 1.0, that an empty car stands against the stops 22 on ing downward; now, the abutment l7 actu-- ates the arm 3 while the arm 20tis being actuated by theplunger 32,50 that the stops l0 and 22 are simultaneously moved outward atfthe' same time that the cage track becomes alined with the tracks of the sections A and C. It will be seen, therefore, that immediately upon the arrival of the cage at its car-receiving and car-discharging position, the empty car passes from the section B while the loaded car passes onto the section B. However, before the loaded car reaches the stops 22, the empty car has actuated the crank shaft 35 and thereby released the trip-arm 20 so that the springs 27 have moved the stops 22 in front of the Wheels of the loaded car, and the cage is now loaded andready to be raised.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this device is entirely automatic,

in that the cage controls both the empty and loaded cars, and it will also be seen that the facility of loading and unloading the cars depends upon the inclination of the track sections and the consequent speed "of the cars on the track sections.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the stops 22 are of special and improved 1 7 great, for in this case the cars may strike the stops with such force that their front wheels ride upward on the forwardly and upwardly curved surfaces of these stops and tend to overturn the stops. A few severe impacts of this kind, or the often repeated lesser impacts have a tendency to either 1 bend or break the stop at its pivotal connec-.

tion. This tendency is overcome by the inability of the rear end of the stop to rise, the lateral projection 22 cooperating with the adjacent track rail for preventing such overturning or rising of the stop.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, it is not intended to limit the invention to these exact details of construction, but changes may be made within the scope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A car stop adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to a track-rail and comprising a wheel engaging portion adapted to extend over the rails head and a railengaging portion adapted to extend under the rails head, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car controlling mechanism, a track structure including a movable section, chock elements carried thereby, operating mechanism for the chock elements including a rocker shaft having a lever handle, and abutment means for engaging the lever handle comprising a plunger yieldably held I in position to engage the lever handle, a rocker shaft, a disk carried thereby, a link leading from the plunger and eccentrically connected with the disk, and means engageable bya car for rotating the disk and shaft to move the plunger out of engagement with the lever.

3. In a car controlling mechanism a track structure including a movable section and a stationary section, chock elements carried by the movable section and having operating means including a rocker shaft, a lever han- W dle for the shaft, a movable abutment element upon the stationary track section normally extending for engagement by said lever handle to hold said rocker shaft against rotary movement, train operated means for moving the abutment to an inoperative position, and means for rotating said rocker shaft and moving said chock to an adjusted position when said abutment element is in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE FOSTER. 

